Audio plays an important role in remote calls and video conferences. If it stops working these days for anyone when almost half of the world is working remotely due to COVID-19 pandemic, hell is going to break loose. Let’s see how to fix audio problems on the Zoom app.
1. Restart PC
Many times, it’s a temporary issue, and a simple reboot will bring the audio back on your Zoom app. First, close the Zoom app and open it again. See if the microphone is working. If Zoom audio is still not working, restart your computer.
2. Join Audio
Even though Zoom asks you to let it use your computer’s audio before joining a meeting, at times, one misses it. That could be the reason why others are unable to hear you. To fix it, click on the Join Audio option present at the bottom in the meeting window. Click on Join with Computer Audio in the pop-up window that appears.
3. Unmute Audio
Sometimes, there is no issue at all. It’s just that our microphone is muted in Zoom, and that’s why it doesn’t work. When that happens, you will see a red line on the microphone icon in the Zoom app present at the bottom. Click on it to unmute it. Alternatively, press the spacebar key to unmute audio. Tip: Find out how to mute and unmute on Zoom mobile app.
4. Change Microphone
You should also try changing the microphone used in the Zoom app. To do so before joining a meeting, follow these steps: Step 1: Click on the settings icon at the top-right corner in the Zoom app. Step 2: Go to the Audio tab from the left panel. Click on the drop-down box present next to the Microphone. Change the microphone. You can also test it using the Test Mic button. If the audio is working fine, you will see the progress bar next to the Input level will change. Tip: Increase the volume level from the slider present under Microphone. Step 3: Relaunch the Zoom app. In case you are in a meeting, click on the small arrow next to the Mute/Unmute option present in the bottom bar of the meeting screen. Select a different microphone from the list.
5. Change Zoom Advanced Audio Settings
If the issue persists, you should take a look at the advanced audio settings offered by Zoom. While they are designed to reduce background noise essentially and enhance audio, sometimes, they are also responsible for low audio or similar sound issues in Zoom. So, take a look at them. After that, follow these steps: Step 1: Launch the Zoom app and click on the settings icon. Step 2: Go to the Audio tab. Click on Advanced present at the bottom of the Audio tab. Step 3: Click on the drop-down boxes available next to each option. Change from Auto to Moderate or disable it for each option one by one. See if the microphone works. Alternatively, check the box next to ‘Show in-meeting option to Enable Original Sound from microphone’ option. Go back, and you will see a new Turn original sound on/off option at the top. Click on it to change it.
6. Grant Zoom Access to Your Microphone
If the Zoom app doesn’t have the permission to use your microphone in Windows, it will not work. So, you need to check and grant access to Windows privacy settings. For that, follow these steps: Step 1: Open Settings on your Windows 10 computer. You can use the shortcut Windows key + I to open Settings. Step 2: Go to Privacy. Step 3: From the left sidebar, scroll down and click on Microphone. Step 4: Enable the toggle under ‘Allow desktop apps to access your Microphone’ and ‘Allow Microsoft Store apps to access your Microphone’. Scroll down and make sure Zoom has access to your microphone.
7. Change Input on External Hardware
Are you using an external mic to connect to your computer? If yes, you need to change the input. That is, if it has multiple sockets to connect the input wire, remove it from the existing one, and change that to a different input.
8. Troubleshoot Sound Issues
Microsoft offers a native way to troubleshoot audio related issues on your computer. You should use it to fix audio issues on the Zoom app. After that, right-click on the sound icon in the taskbar and choose Troubleshoot sound problems. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process.
9. Update Sound Driver
Sometimes, the issue is with your sound driver itself. You can try uninstalling or updating it. To do so, follow these steps: Step 1: Right-click on the Start Menu icon. Choose Device Manager. Step 2: Expand Sound, Video, and game controllers. Right-click on your driver and select Update Driver. See if the issue is fixed. If it continues, click on Uninstall driver. Restart your PC. The driver will be installed automatically along with fixing your issue. Tip: Check out 5 ways to reinstall the sound driver on your Windows PC.
Last Resort: Use Audio From Phone
Zoom offers an interesting way to use audio from your phone instead of the computer. So, if nothing fixes the microphone issue on your computer, you should use your phone’s audio. When you do so, you will need to speak into your phone, i.e., consider it as your mic. To use this feature, download the Zoom app on your Android or iPhone. Login with your account. Now, on the desktop version of Zoom, click on the arrow present next to Mute. Select Switch to Phone audio. You will be given a meeting ID and password. Use it to join the meeting on your phone.
Try Something New
We hope one of the above solutions helped you in restoring the audio on the Zoom app. Lately, Zoom has been in the news over privacy and security issues. Here’s a video to fix Zoom mic call issues from our Guiding Tech YouTube (English) Channel: If you want to try new apps that offer the same functionality as Zoom, check our best Zoom alternatives compilation. Next up: Check out our Ultimate Guide to Zoom to know all the hidden tips, tricks and fixes for this powerful tool.
